Professional development of adult educators in the light of new professionalism

Dandanes se profesionalizem dojema kot znak kakovosti in učinkovitosti izobraževanja odraslih, saj pomembno zmanjšuje napake, narejene v procesu načrtovanja in izvajanja izobraževanja odraslih. Priča smo okrepljenim prizadevanjem po profesionalizaciji izobraževanja odraslih in profesionalni usposobljenosti izobraževalcev odraslih, čeprav ostaja vprašanje, kako zagotavljati profesionalizem na širokem področju izobraževanja odraslih, odprto. Zadnja leta je na področju izobraževanja odraslih v ospredju logika »novega profesionalizma«, ki v središče postavlja profesionalno ravnanje posameznika v praksi. V magistrskem delu preučujemo različne poskuse in načine profesionalizacije izobraževanja odraslih v Sloveniji na treh ravneh: nacionalni, organizacijski in individualni ravni. Na nacionalni ravni analiziramo podporni sistem države, ki se odraža v izobraževalni politiki in zakonodaji. Na organizacijski ravni identificiramo in analiziramo ključne organizacije, ki skrbijo za razvoj in kakovost osebja v izobraževanju odraslih ter si prizadevajo za sistemsko urejanje področja. Na individualni ravni preučujemo izobraževalce odraslih, njihov (stalni) profesionalni razvoj ter njihovo profesionalno identiteto. Ugotavljamo, da je za kakovostno profesionalizacijo izobraževanja odraslih v Sloveniji ključno usklajeno delovanje na vseh treh ravneh: (1) na nacionalni ravni se profesionalizacija krepi z državnimi politikami in sistemsko ureditvijo področja, (2) na organizacijski ravni se profesionalni razvoj osebja podpira v organizacijah za izobraževanje odraslih, (3) na individualni ravni se pozornost usmerja k ustreznemu strokovnemu znanju, kompetencam in krepitvi profesionalne identitete izobraževalcev odraslih. V prizadevanjih za krepitev profesionalizacije izobraževanja odraslih v Sloveniji so na vseh treh ravneh vzpostavljene nekatere dobre prakse in rešitve, kljub temu pa na vsaki izmed ravni prepoznavamo tudi določene pomanjkljivosti in potrebne izboljšave.Professional development of adult educators in the light of new professionalism Nowadays the professionalism is considered a sign of adult learning and education’s (ALE) quality and efficiency, because it reduces the number of mistakes made in the process of planning and teaching. Therefore we’ve been witnessing the intensified efforts to professionalize ALE and to strengthen adult educators’ professional development, although the question of how to professionalize such a wide and diverse field remains hidden. In the ALE field, the recent focus has been placed on the “new professionalism” perspective, which emphasizes the importance of professional behavior in practice. In the master’s thesis we study various professionalization processes in Slovenia on three levels: national, organizational and individual. Analysis at the national level involves discussing national educational policy and legislative framework which support professionalization of ALE. At the organizational level we are identifying and discussing key professional organizations and their contributions towards professionalization of ALE and adult educators’ professional development. At the individual level we study adult educators, their (continuing) professional development and their professional identity. We note that the coherent procedures at all three levels are crucial to achieving quality professionalization of ALE in Slovenia: (1) At the national level professionalization is strengthened through national policies and systemic regulation of the field. (2) At the organizational level adult educators’ professional development is supported in professional adult education organizations. (3) At the individual level attention is brought to adult educators’ adequate expertise, competence and their professional identity. In an effort to strengthen the professionalization of adult education in Slovenia, some good practices and solutions have been established at all three levelshowever, at each level we also identify certain shortcomings and necessary improvements